Reference sequential indexing device or rotary card press



March 18, 1958 E. B. ERICKSON 2,827,237

r REFERENCE SEQUENTIL INDEXING DEVICE OR ROTARY CARD PRESS Filed Dec. 30, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 18,v 1958 E. B. ERICKSON 2,827,237

REFERENCE SEQUENTIAL INDEXING DEVICE OR ROTARY CARD PRESS Filed Dec. 50, 1954 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ibn/96.0 7. 'R/c/fsa/V March 18, 1958 E. B. 'ERICKSON REFERENCE SEQUENTIAL INDEXING DEVICE OR ROTARY CARD PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Deo. 3o. 1954 March 18, 1958 E. B, ERICKSON A 2,827,237

REFERENCE SEQUENTIAL INDEXING DEVICE OR ROTARY CARD PRESS 4 Sl'xeets-SheerI 4 fNVENToR. 2mg/P0 5? wf/fsa# United Sees Parent e REFERENCE SEQUENTIAL INDEXING DEVICE. OR ROTARY CARD PRESS E'dward'B. Erickson, Vestal, N. Y., assigner to International Business Machines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application-December 30, 1954, Serial No. 478,663V

3 Claims. (CI. 23S-132) This invention relates to indexing acard stacker in a tabulating card printing machine and' more particularlyv stacking printed cards, the cards are divided during the stacking operation and then collected into a single bundle of 2,000 cards. The division of the cards, however,

must provide groups which can be assembled into 2,000' cards without counting. Accordingly, it is necessary that the cards be counted at the stacking operation and further that the stacked groups consist of a card count which will permit an easy union to a 2,000 card package. This applies equallyto the composition of any card package inv a standard number of cards from stacked groups.

The grouping of cards in this manner is best accomplished by counting the cards immediately prior to or asn they are stacked. The counting must be combined with indexing of the card stacker to provide the card group` formation operation which results in the automatic preparation of card groups which are combinable into a package of a standard number.

It is an object of this invention to provide a. device for the placement of cards in stacks having predetermined amounts of cards combinable into a package of cards .of a given number.

It is another object of this invention to count tabulating cards stacked from a card. printing machine successively in groups of a different number, with a given number of these groups combinableV into a package of a given number.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a means and a method for counting tabulating cards printed on a card press and to provide stacks of said counted cards which complement each other in numbers, so that any three successive stacks combine to form a package of 2,000 cards.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide. in

a tabulating card press apparatus, a combination. of means for counting and stacking completed cardsand indexing a stacker with a given number of groups of cards combinable to produce a package of a standard number of cards.

These and other objects of this invention willbecome more apparent upon considerationof the following-.de-Y

ice

Fig. 4'isa side elevation ofY` a portionof al cardconveyor drum and a card stacker;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a counter unit;

Fig. 6 is a partial bottom view of the card sensing and counting mechanism;l

Fig. 7 is aV plan view; ofthe stacker table andassociated parts;

Fig. 8 is a plan View of the stacker table actuating and stopping mechanism portion ofthe card conveyer drum;

Fig. 9` is an enlarged plan view of the card catcher n and' stacker table taken from the same side as Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a detailed front view ofvthe clutch engaging mechanism for the stacker tabley actuating means and card catcher; and

Fig. 1l is a side view of the stack movement cut-ofi switch and rod for'permitting clutch engagement.

In thev embodiment of this invention described herein, the card stackingis related to making up units of 2,000 cards fromgany thieestacks of cards. The card stacks are counted and yaccumulated on a table and moved by -theV indexing of2 theftable. This is accomplished by making Aup on= the'stacker table of stacks of 667, 667, 666, 667, 667 and666`cards insequential repetition. The stacking of cardsv inl-these groups in a tabulating card printing machine depends on ay control means for indexing a table on which" cards are stacked after counting. The controlmeansI OfthisembOdiment may be incorporated in a modiiicationloflthe Tabulating Card Printing Machine, describedfin* UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 2,181,935, issued December 5, 1939, to Fred M.

Carroll'. The control means provides'a stack of cards in the amount of 667, a second stack in the amount of 6'67 cards and a third stack in the amount of 666`cards. The amounts of the cards isl determined by the control means which is responsiveA to the completion of a first circuit at a predeterminedcount of'667 cards. On cornpletion' of the rstcount, a second circuit'isset up for a second predetermined count of 667 cards. third circuit is set up at the' second count; The third circuit is completed at a third predetermined count of'666 cards. At the completion of each count the counted cards which have been stacked are moved by the indexing of a stacker table on which the counted cards arepiled.

Fig, l shows the wiring diagram for the control means of the described embodiment. In this control means, a groupl of relays 11, 12, 13, 14', 15`and 15' control sets of contacts to provide a means responsive to the stacked cards. The switches prexed by 15 are controlled by relay-15. The control means of the embodiment has three emitters 16, 17 and 18 for counting the cards. The emitter 116` counts units, the emitter 17 counts tens and the emitter 18 counts hundreds. Each of the emitters 16, 17 and 18 are provided with a ratchet. relay 19 and an advance relay 20. Therespective relays 19 and 20 operate a wiper yarm 21 in emitter 16, a wiper arm 22 in emitter 17, and a Wiper arm 23 in emitter 18. The respective Wiper arms 21, 22 and 23' are moved across a series often contacts 24 for eachof 'the respective emitters 16, 17 4and 18and contact bars 26, 27 and 28 for the respective emitters. A power line 25 supplies the necessary electric current.

Timing pulses are produced inthe control meansv by. which are'driven in sy'n-` and cam actuated contacts which control-the.conditioningA ofv add relay-ratchet relay control of the respective wiper Patented Mar. 18, i958l arms 21, 22 and 23. The cam 31 connects the power line 25 directly to the contact bar 26 through contacts 34 and conductor 36.

The relays 14 and 14 control the cutting off of the stacking of cards and the indexing of the stacker table when the 'various predetermined counts of 667 and 666 have beencompleted. The wiring of the control means accordingly provides for the energization of the relays 14 and 14' when the vpredetermined counts have been achieved. The energization of relays 14 and 14 at the opportune time in card counting is effected through sets of contacts associated with the emitter contacts 24 and av set of three contacts connected in parallel at the relays 14 and 14. Three contacts 412-1, 12-2 and 12-3 are connected to the respective 24-0 contacts of emitters 16, 17 and 18, and connect the emitters 16, 17 and 18 together and connect to relay 13 through conductors 40 and to the relay 14 through a conductor 37 and an intervening contact 12-6. VThe contacts 12-1, 12-2, 12--3 and 12-6 are controlled by relay 12,'as well as contacts 12-4 and 12-5.

Similarly, relays V11 and Y13 control contacts 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5 and 11-6 and 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, 13-4, 13-5 and 13-6, respectively. Contacts 11-1 are connected to contact 24-4 of emitter 16, contacts 11-2 are connected to contact 24-3 of emitter 17 and contacts 11-3 are connected to contact 24-3 of emitter 18 and also to relay 12 through conductor 38 and to relay 14 through contacts 11-6 and conductor 39. Contacts 13-1, 13-2 and 133 connect to contacts 24-7, 24-6 and 24-6 of emitters 16, 17 and 18 respectively. Contacts 13-3 are connected to relay 11 through conductor 41 and relay 14 through contacts 13-6 and conductor 42. It will be noted'that contacts 13-6, 11-6 and 12-6 are connected together `and to relay 14 by a conductor 104. Thus, the energization of the relay 14 is controlled by the positioningiof the wiper arms 21, 22 and 23 and the closing of the respective sets of contacts 11-1, 11-2, 11-3 Vand 12-1, 12-2, 12-3 and 13-1, 13-2, 13-3 and 11-6, 12-6 and 13-6 by their respective relays 11, 12 and 13.

The relays 11-15 are provided with hold circuits which connect them to the power line 25 through respective contacts. Relay 11 has a hold circuit of conductor 43, contacts 12-5 and 11-4. Relay 12 has a hold circuit conductor 44 and contacts 13-5, 12-4 and 15-6. Relay 13 has a hold circuit of conductor 45 and contacts 11-5, 13-4 and contacts 46. Relay 15 has a hold circuit of conductor 47, contacts 1548 and 46. Relay 14 has a hold circuitv of conductor 48, contacts 14-1 and micro-switch 49.

Fig. 2 shows the cycle of cams 29, 30 and 31. A complete cycle of the three synchronized cams is 360. Each cam closes its respective contacts for a 90 phase of the cycle and the angular rotation between phases is 30. The timing of the cam action is related to the sensing and counting of the cards so that during the closing of contacts 33 by cam 30 only one card will be in contact with the sensing nger as described more fully below. This provides the check in the device for a hiatus in the card feed or a missing card.

Cams 29, 30 and 31 are adjusted to operate their respective contacts sequentially. Cam 30 closes contacts 33 iirst' to set up the counting mechanism. Cam 29 closescontacts 32 to add the count, and cam 31 closes contacts 34 to index thefstacker when the desired number is reached. The cams 29, 30 and 31 are geared to the driving mechanism. Y

Fig. 4 shows a card conveyer wheel 50 which carries the tabulating cards in the embodiment of this invention.. This card conveyer wheel 50 is substantially the same as the conveyer wheel shown and described in the abovenoted patent. Reference is hereby made to the'disclosure of thedevice for conveying and 'stacking tabulatin'g cards in said patent. TheV conveyer Wheel 50 is shown depositing tabulating cards 51 onto a stacker table 52. The cards are held in an upright stack 53 by a plate 54 and guide bars 55.

The stacker table 52 has associated with the plate 54 and guide bars 55, forming a stacker pocket 72, a card catcher 56 which consists of a bifurcated plate. The relationship between the stacker table 52 and the card catcher 56 and the card stacks 53 is shown in Fig. 7. The mechanism for actuating, positioning and resetting the card catcher 56 is shown in more complete detail in Fig. l0, which is also shown in Fig. 7, while showing the adaptation of this invention to the disclosure of the above-noted patent.

The stacker table 52 indexing means 57 is shown in Fig. 8. The stacker table 52 is rotated by an arm 58 connected by a link 59 to a plate 60. A ratchet disk 61 is mounted on a hub 62 of the table 52 and is engaged by a pawl 63. The pawl 63 is held in the disk 61 by a spring 64. As described in the above-noted patent, the table 52 is rotated in angular increments by the indexing means 57 as driven by a shaft 65, attached to the arm 58. Y

' Concomitant with the indexing of table 52 at the completion of a predetermined count is the cutting-off of further deposit of cards in the stack of the predetermined count. This cut-o-ff its accomplished by the actuation of the card catcher 56 from the position shown in Fig. 9,V to intercept the cards 51. The initiation of the card catcher movement is instituted by the energization of a solenoid 66 at the completion of the predetermined count by the energization of relay 14, as will be explained in greater detail below.

The solenoid 66 is provided with a core V67 which carries a detent 68. YThe detent 68 engages a rod 69 which is pivotally mounted on the shoulder of the card catcher 56 by a pin 70. The rod 69 is under the compression of spring 71 which turns the card catcher 56 by the leverage between the pin 70 and the rotatable mounting of the card catcher 56. The card catcher 56 is quickly driven into the stacker pocket 72 cutting ott the cards 51 during the indexing operation. The upper end of the rod 69 is formed with a bullet-shaped nose 73 which supports a lever 74 as shown in Fig. 10. The horizontal movement of the rod 69 in an axial direction, as seen in Fig.y 9, causes the nose 73 to allow the lever 74 to drop as seen in Fig. 10.

The fall of the lever 74 has a double action. As shown in Fig. ll, the lever 74 engages a finger 86 of the microswitch 49 as it falls. This deenergizes the hold circuit of the relay 14 and opens the contacts 14-2 and 14-3 of the solenoidV 66 circuit causing the solenoid 66 to de-energize and release the detent 68 for engagement with rod 69 when the rod 69 is subsequcntly returned to latchable position. The rod 69 and the card catcher 56 with it, however, are held in extended position by the expansion of spring 71. 1

The other action of the fall of lever 74 is the product of a turning motion effected in a shaft 75 on which the lever 74 is mounted at its end opposite from the nose 73. As shown in Fig. 10, a hub 76 is provided with slots 77 to act as a continuously rotating clutch. As shown in the plan View of Fig. 9, a dog 78 is engageable in one of the slots 77 under the urging of a spring 79. The dog 78 is pivotally mounted on a driven disk 84. The disk 84 is suitably mounted on a shaft 80, also as described in the above-noted patent. The shaft 80 carries a circular eccentric cam 81 and horn-shaped cam 82 mounted thereon to berotatable with said hub 76 upon engagement of said dog 78 in a slot 77. The rotation of the shaft 75 disengages a small lever 83 from a restraining projection on the dog 78 and permits the dog 78 to engage in aslot'77.

l The cam 81 `actuates the table indexing means 57 by means of a cam follower, not shown, mounted on the shaft 65 in accordance with the disclosure in the abovenoted patentsH The. cam 82;#rotates withfth'e shaft, 80 fand engages a; hook-shapedf,projection; 85z which `lextends from thexshoulder of the ycard catcherf-56 counter -to ,the main body.f The .engagementof `thetprojection 85 by thc.. cam f82` causes a opposite movementxof the Vcard ycatcher 56 which withdraws it' fromthewstacker-pocket 72 and forcing Ytheyrody69'against theaction lof the spring 71 relatches the detenty 68 inthe .rodf69. The axial repositioning of the rod 69moves `the bullet-shaped nose-73 against; the -lever .'74 rotatinggthe leverV 74 in a clockwise direction as seen inv.Fig. l0. The lever 74 does not disengage vfrommthenose- 731whengthe rod ,69 moves axially.A Consequently, when'the rod 69 and nose173 are moved to the latched up position shown-1in vFig.9,- the-lever 74 simply cams on the inclinesurface ofthe nose 73 and the lever 74 is smothly raised, rotating the shaft 75 and moving the.k smallflever-83 under-the dogl 78 projection to disengage'the dog 78 from the hub 76.`r The cams 81 and 82 'become -stationary and thestacker table 52 indexing cycle `is completed-.with an emptyv stacker pocket 72 positioned to'receive anew stack 53 of cards 51.

In Fig. 5 a perspective view .showsA ameans for pro' viding counting in an emitter bythe actionV Vof ratchet and advance relays,` such as in this invention. The mechanism of Fig. 5 is an example of the emitter ratchet advance relays assembly of the units, tens and hundreds counters in the control means. The emitter -16 is shown as an example with the ratchetrelay 19 and advance relay 20 joined by beam 87 sliding in mortises finsupporting members 88. A plate 89 pivotally mounted at the middleof the beam 87 is connected to an emitter shaft 90 which `carries a ratchet wheel91 at its -lower end, a "9 cam 92 and a 0 cam 93 adjacent its middle and the wiper arm 21 at the upper end. The wiper arm 21 is surrounded by the contacts 24-0 to 24-9.

The cams 92 and 93 turning with the shaft 90 open and. .close contacts 101 and 106 respectivelyas shown inFig. l. The contacts` 106` are closed except at 0 and the contacts 101.are closed at 9 only. The tens and hundreds are isolated and can be pulsed only through the unit counter. This pulsing occurs when emitter 16 is on 9 and wiper arm 21 is on 24-9 as shown in Fig. 5. The vcontacts 101 are closed. Contacts 15-4 normally open are closed since is energized. Then the tens ratchet relay 19 is energized, cooking the tens counter and on the next card the tens advance relay 20 associated with emitter 17 indexes the` ten emitter 17 on arpulse from contacts 32.

In counting-in the control means the emitter 16 is conditioned by energization of the ratchet relay 19 to draw the beam 87 to the left as seen in Fig. 5 and to lock a pawl 94 on 4the ratchet wheel 91.

. The subsequent energization of the-advance relay20 will draw the beam 87 to the right, as seenin Fig. 5 andl through the engagement of .the pawl 94 lin the ratchet wheel 91 cause an angular movement of thershaft 90 movingthewiper arm-21 from one of the contacts, such asf24-9 tothe .next higher, such as 24-0. The current is provided to the wiper arm 21 througha slip ring 95. Thus, the emitter can be advanced to provide a circuit through any one of the contacts 24-0 to 2449 in the emitter.16.y The emitter 16 has been described for the purpose of illustration.

The predetermined count of cards is performed by theapparatus of this invention throughA the emitters 16, 17 .and `18. The cams 29-30vand 31-provide the timed pulses which energize the ,counting system of Vthe emitters 16, 17 and.18. Thecams 29, 30 and,31 are drivenin synchronism with the card conveyer wheel 50 and corn-V pleteone360?` revolutionfor each card 51 delivered to thestackerV pocket 72. Thercam* 30 Aistimedtogclose contacts 33. eachi .time a card, ,51- isVv in position ,to #drop intolthe stacker .pocket 72. The cardy at thesame time losestcontacts .--96 throught a-tlnger'l 97 Ifl there :is no agees/.nar

card '51v,-nofcurrentis1 passed fora count-since lthe con-'i tracts-:96are-anotvclosed; In-.operation,` when counting continuous:cardsythecontacts 96 are kept continuously; closed.. The. ingerr97 is always incontact with at` leastA onefofv the .cards,51. The finger 97, as shown in Fig. 6, is in contact with two cards during a part of the cycle. This is illustrated 'further in Fig. 2. During the phase ofthe.closing .of contacts -33 by cam 30,'the linger 97 is-,in contact with only one card. Thus, ifV a card is missing, it is during this phase of thecycle that not contact can be made at contacts 96. When the contacts 96- open, the circuit, isinterrupted and thereis no countduring the,respectivefcycle of the cams 29, 30 and 31.-

The `operationof thecontrol means of this invention isr initiatedby-indexing the wiper arms 21, 22 and 23 to their respective-240 contacts. To move the wiper arms- 21, 22 and 23 to 0\, the relay 12 is energized byclosure ofvcontacts 113-5, 12-4`and 15-'6.- This closes contacts 12,-1, V12-2 .and12-3. The'rest of the-relays r11, 13, 14 and..15 .arerde-energized. Thus, contacts 11-1, 11-2, and 11-3 are open,as well as contacts 13-1, 13-2'and 134. The-contactsr126 are also closed while contacts 11+6 and -136'a1'eopen.l Contacts 15-3, 15-2, 15-1rz and15-7 are.closed. Consequently, pulses are transmitted .tothe relays fromvcam 3|).and` contacts 33 through contacts L15-7,* 15-1a, 15-2, 15-3 to contacts 105, 98 and 99, associated with emittersvl, 17 and 18, respectively. Each pulse throughv the contacts 33 causes allof `the-*ratchet relays -19 to lcondition the respective emitters,` as described above inconnection withFig. 5. If the-wiper arms are not atthe 24-0 contacts for their respective emitter, the closing'of cam 31 will have no efectfjuponfthe counting circuit. The-ratchets are'all conditioned "and the next, closing of Vthe contacts 32 by the cam-.29 pulses the advance -relays20 and operates the-ratchet 91 and pawl 94, as described above in'con-i nection with Fig. 5. Thus,` the wiper'arms 21, 22and 23aregrapidly moved'around-to the `24-0 position. When they ,-allireach24-O, a current, from contactsy 34,! upon closing kcarn- 31,- will be transmitted to relay 14.1 Relay 14f'controls Vconta-cts 14-1, 14-2and 14-3.. The` closing of,V thecontacts 14-2 and.14-.3 thus causes an energization offthesolenoid 66causing an indexing of the table and-signifying that the control means is incondition for counting. Each of the relaysl 11, v12 and 13 operates substantially the same. It is understood that it is the purpose of this invention to provide a means for counting cards into three stacks, twocomposed of 667 cards and the other composed of 666cards. This device accomplishes this purpose-inthe following manner: to count to 667 With the control means, therelay 13 is energized. This lcloses contacts 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, 13-4 and 13-6 and opens ycontacts 13-5 in the hold circuit for relay 12 de-energizes relay 12.

At the inception of the rst stack 53 count, relays 14 and 14 are momentarily energized to cause an indexing of the stacker table 52 bythe operation of the indexing means 57, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. As explained above, the rapidopening micro-switch 49 in the indexing operation causes the indexing operation to be which consequently completed very quickly. As soon as the card catcher 56 is returned to the position of Fig. 9, by the operation described above, the control means is prepared for the count. In this condition, relays 11 and 12 are de-energzed, relays 13 and 15 are energized, and relay 14 has been energized and is again de-energized. Contacts 12`1,v 12-2, 12-3, 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, 15-1a, 15-2, 15-3 and 15-7 are open and also contacts 15-6, 12-4 and 13-5 `in the hold circuit are open for relay 12. Contacts 11-4 in the hold circuit are open-for relay 11. It is to be noted that contacts 13-6 are closed as well as contacts 13-1,` 13-2 and 13e-3.

In the. circuit associated .with therelays 19 vand 2),*the contactsp15-`4and 15+.5zare'closed. EachI time the earn 30 vcloses its contact and a card causes the finger 97 to close -the contacts 96, a pulse is transmitted'to ratchet relay 19for emitterv 16Athrough the contacts-IS-lb.Y As contacts 15-2 and 153 are open, no pulse is transmitted to the emitters 17 and 18. After the ratchet wheel 91 of emitter 16 is conditionedwith the pawl 94, as described above, the closing of the contacts 32 bythe cam 29 advances the wiperearm 21 in the same manner as described above in connection with Fig. 5. l This advance continues until the wiper arm 21 reaches the contacts .24*9. A The relay 19 for the emitter 17 is then conditioned through the action of the cam 92 of the units counterfwhich closes contacts 101 and transmits av pulse through. contacts 15-4 to the relay 19 for the tens counter. YForevery l counts of the emitter 16 by the-ratchet'and advance stepwise method just described, the tens counter will be advanced one Contact.k For every l0 advances of the wiper arm 22 of theemitter 17, the emitter 18 will be advanced one contact by the action of a cam 102'and lcontacts 103 in the same manner as described above in connection with the units and tens counters.

This indexing and counting continues throughout the counting of the first 667 cards. It will be seen-that the contacts 1341, 13-2 and 13-3 are closed for the first predetermined count and connected to contacts 24-7 in emitter 16, contacts 24-6 in emitter 17 and contacts 24-6 in emitter 18. Thus, when the respective wiper arms 21, 22 and 23 all reach the respective contacts 24-7, 24-6 and 24-6, the next pulse through conductor 36 from contacts 34 on closure by cam 31 will run through the emitters 16, 17 and 18 to conductor 42, closed contacts 13-6 and a commonconductor 104.V Thus, the relay 14 is energized setting into operation the card cut off by the card catcher 56 and the indexing of the stacker table 52. The cut oii and indexing takes place at this point in the count as the count indicates the first predetermined card stack of 667 has been achieved. Y

In ther next counting phase, the relay 11 is energized and the relays 12 and 13 are de-energized. Contacts 11-1, 11-2, 11-3, 11-6, 11-4 and 11-5 are closed, while contacts 13-1, 13-2, 13-3, 13-4 and 13-6 Vhave been opened. Contacts 12-1, 12-2, 12-3 and 12-6 remain open in this phase as do contacts 1S-1a, 15-2 and 15-3. Contacts 12-5 remain closed to provide a hold circuit for relay 11 through conductor 43. With the various contacts thus disposed, the pulse from the contacts 34, through the conductors 36, in the respective contact bars 26, 27 and 28 will be conducted to the index initiating relay 14 when the wiper arms 21, 22 and 23 reach their respective contacts 24-4, 24-3 and 24-3. means will count another 667 cards in this second predetermined count in reaching these emitter contacts. Thus, another stack 53 of 667 cards willrbe piled in the stacker pocket 72 of the stacker table 52 before the indexing operation is repeated. With the counting of the 667th card, the card catcher 56 wiil once again swing into action under the operation of the means described above. This will give a total of 1334 cards counted in two card stacks 53. To reach the desired total, of an even 2,000 cards, the control means next counts 666 cards for indexing. In the third predetermined count, `the relay 12 is energized closing contacts 12-1, 12-2, 12.3, 12-6 and 12-4 and leaving contacts 13-5 closed to provide a hold circuit relay 12 for conductor 44. The contacts 11-4 are open, as are contacts 134, to open the hold circuits for the relays 11 and 13. The wiper arms 21, 22 and 23 of the respective emitters 16, 17 and 18 are advanced by vthe combined action of the respective ratchet relays 19 and advance relays 20, as described above in connection with the previous predetermined counts. The Wiper arms 21, 22 and 23. will move through 666 counts in advancing from the contacts 24-4, 24-3 and 24-3, respectiveiy, at Vthe closel of the second predetermined count to the three 224-0 con` tacts at the close of the third predetermined count. At the close of the third predetermined count, thepulse from the The control y deposited. Accordingly, it takes -8 contacts34v through conductor 36, the contacts 12-1, 12-2,.123,conductor 37 and contacts 12-6 to relay 14 completes the'countingof 2,000 cards. The indexing `op*-y eration is repeated with the activation of the indexing means 57'and the reciprocation of the card catcher 56.

Thus, the operation of the control means for providing three stacks of cards is completed. The three stacks of cards according to this invention, when added together, equal 2,000 cards. Upon continued operation of the c onveyer 'wheel 50 and the deposit of cards 51 subject to the contro-l means of this invention, additional stacks 53 will be prepared, each'containing a predetermined countrof cards 51. These stacks will be made up repetitively sequentiallyof 667, 667, 666, 667, 667 and v666 cards, etc. Thus, three sequential stacks of cards, added together, will equal 2,000 cards.V

VIn the counting of the cards into groups of predetermined number, `according to this invention, each count completion sets up the circuit for the next predetermined count; for example, the first 667 count with the relay 13 energized is set up by the contacts 12-1, 12-2 and 12-3 in the previous indexing to 0. The relay 13 is held energized by contacts 11-5, 13-4 and 46. The second 667 card count ywith the relay 11 energized is set up by the contacts 13-1, 13-2 and 13-3 ofV the previous count. The relay 11 is then held energized by contacts 11-4 and 12-5 and finally the 666 card count is set up by energization of relay 12 through contacts 11-1, 11-2 and 11-3 with the relay 12 held by contacts 12-4, 13-5 and 15-6.

This invention has been described as applied to obtaining a total of 2,000 cards in three stacks by repetitions sequential counting of the cards. It will be understood that this embodiment has been described for the purpose of illustrating the invention and that it may be modified to providefa diiicrenttotal count with different predetermined counts and other numbers ofV stacks containing different predetermined counts. Moreover, this variable counting device has been applied to one form of a card conveyer and depositor with a specific means for indexing and card catching. Itwillbereadily understood that the counting device of this invention may be applied to other card print-- ing and conveying machines band other means for indexing or removing the stacks of predetermined counts.

The invention thus provides a means for obtaining a given total count in subdivided groups. The sub-divided groups when combined together in accordance with their sequential formationY invariably produce the desired total count. This count is obtained positively from the cards as into consideration a missing card. It is a further advantage of this invention that a dumping switch is provided in the contacts 46. This permits a stack'to be eliminated when it contains mutilated car-ds. it is a further advantage of this invention that when a stack is thus dumped, the control means contains the means for indexing to start a new group automatically at the proper orientationy of the emitter wiper arms.

In view'of these advantages and the possibility of modiications, as intended above, it is intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1.'- A card compiling device for stacking cards in groups of designated numbers totaling a specied number of cards,

` comprising a first cam, irst contacts closed by said first cam, a second cam, second contacts closed by said second cam, a third cam, third contacts closed by said third cam, said first, second and third cams being arranged to close saidl respective contacts sequentially, a stacker table receiving -tabulating cards, means for indexing said stacker table, means for intercepting said tabulating cards during said indexing, means forvmoving said interceptor, a.' cutoilsol'enoidenergizable to actuate said indexing means and said interceptor moving means to produce card groups of designated numbers of cards, a master relay energizable ananas? to energize said cut-off solenoid, a counter connected to said master relay to provide energizations therefor including a first emitter of the units order, a second emitter of the tens order, a third emitter of the hundreds order, an emitter arm in each of said first, second and third emitters, ten emitter contacts in each of said emitters engagcable sequentially by said respective emitter arm, a iirst solenoid for each of said respective emitters, a second solenoid for each of said respective emitters, means pulsed by said first contact for energizing said first solenoids to condition means in said emitter for moving said respective emitter arm sequentially across the respective emitter contacts, means pulsed by said second contact for energizing said second solenoids to operate said conditioned means and move said respective emitter arm in sequential engagement with the respective emitter contacts, means for energizing said second solenoid of said units emitter with each rotation of said rst, second and third cams, means for energizing said second solenoid of said tens emitter with each ten advances of said units emitter arm, means for energizing said second solenoid of said hundreds emitter with each ten advances of said tens emitter arm, three card-counting contacts connected each to individual emitter contacts in each of said emitters, three relays, one of the card-closing contacts in each emitter operable by one of said relays, said relays being sequentially energizable, means for supplying energization pulses to said relays from said third contacts through said emitter contacts and said card-counting contacts, and means connecting one of said card-counting contacts in each of said emitters to said master relay for each of card groups.

2. In a device as claimed in claim l, a card actuated switch in said first solenoid actuating means interrupting the counting operation of said device so that the 'absence of a card results in no count during the cycle of the first, second and third cams.

3. In a device as claimed in claim 1, a switch in the circuit of the master relay actuated by a mutilated card to energize said master relay.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,294,718 Carroll Sept. 1, 1942 2,424,093 Hatred July 15, 1947 2,570,306 Battersby Oct. 9, 1951 2,617,593 Audier et al. Nov. 11, 1952 2,629,300 Smith Feb. 24, 1953 2,652,197 Berger Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 2,827,237

l March 18, 1958 Edward B, Erickson It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should reed as corrected below.,

In the drawings, Sheets l'.J 2;, 3 and 49 line 2, and in the heading to the printed specification, line 3, for that part of the title o invention reading l'OR ROTARY CARD PRESSM each occurrence, read m FOR ROTARY GARD PRESS n; column 2, line 46, after "13 Y' insert .ml -=5 column 5, line los for "smothly" read :e smoothly Signed and sealed this 12th day of August 1.958l

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H., AXLINE ROBERT C WATSON Attesting Officer Corrmssioner of Patents UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CURRECTIUN Patent Nou 2,827,237

March 18;` 1958 Edward B, Erickson It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as Corn' rested below..

In the drawings, Sheets 13 2r9 3 and w line 2p and in the heading to the printed specification5 line 39 for that part of the title of invention reading "OR ROTARY GARD PRESS"y each occurrence, read FOR ROTARY GARD' PRESS nl; column 2;, line oy after "13p Y' insert 14, column 5, line 16s for "smothly" read smoothly Signed and sealed this 12th day oi August 1958.,

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL E MINE ROBERT c. wATsoN ttsting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

